I’m not sure about anyone else, but I find myself to still be extremely annoyed.
Sweeps in the NBA are hard, it’s what makes them so unique.
Here’s the thing about that though.
Both can be true, I think.
For me, it’sthe waythe Celts lost this game that annoys me more than the result.
In a position to effectively end the series, the Celts went for their kill shot.
In that sense, they failed.
Instead, they added a game to the series.
It may not end up being a fatal missed opportunity, but it is a missed opportunity.
Another 48 minutes of that worry all because you played like fucking dickheads in Game 3.
Those are the playoff losses the Celtics need to do their best to avoid.
If they go out and get their ass whooped, so be it.
But holding a team to 95 points?
That has to be a win.
You also have to remember that this team’s calling card is playing .800 basketball.
At least that’s the spinzone I’ve been working on since the final buzzer.
That’s both comforting and annoying as fuck all at the same time.
Welcome to the NBA Playoffs!
Part of me really hates blowing the opportunity to effectively end the series.
You hate giving a team life as opposed to breaking their spirit.
It now puts much more pressure on Game 4, which is also annoying.
You have to go out and execute well enough to earn the win.
The Celtics didn’t do that in Game 3, and they paid the price for it.
And not only just his return, but how he played.
He led the team in rebounds and was second in assists.
So to see him come back after missing just one game and look that good was a relief.
Clean up the TOs, and this version of Tatum is more than good enough.
- I’d also say the same thing about how Jaylen looked despite his injuries.
They did their part.
Let’s get to the real meat of this blog.
The Bad
- Alright, where to begin.
You see, the Celtics have been losing playoff games in the same fashion since 2020.
High TOs/high points allowed off TOs
2.
Poor defensive rebounding
3.
If they handle these areas, they never lose.
If they struggle in all 3, they never win.
you’re free to go back through the years and check for yourself.
So what did we see last night?
19 TOs/26 points allowed off TOs
2.
15 OREB allowed for 16 2nd chance points
3.
It’s really as simple as that.
You cannot be that poor in those areas, it’s non-negotiable.
The Celts lost the fastbreak battle 18-11, and why do we think that is?
It allows a bad halfcourt offense not to have to worry about beating your defense in the halfcourt.
The spurts where they took care of it, they built a double digit lead.
This is not an accident.
That’s just losing basketball.
42 of the Magic’s 95 points came off self inflicted wounds.
Think about that for a second.
Then you end with the poor outside shooting.
How does 2-13 (15%) in the second half sound?
I have everything about it.
The percentage is horrendous, but only 13 3PA?
The Celtics allowed the Magic to take more 3PA in this loss.
They did not embrace Mazzulla Ball and it cost them.
His role is too important.
Chalk it up to a stinker and move on.
He needs to find a way to be a positive player, because right now he’s nowhere close.
He can’t just be out there for cardio and bad defense.
Both of those things, bring death.
So what did we see time and time again?
you oughta move the ball.
The same is true with several of Jaylen’s possessions as well.
His issues weren’t so much around long 2s like Tatum, but more into turnovers/offensive fouls etc.
Just as bad, but in a different way.
That simply cannot happen.
To avoid help avoid it, move the ball.
The entire offensive approach last night felt like the Celts were playing right into the Magic’s hands.
No wonder they couldn’t score for an entire quarter playing this way.
I see this as both a failure in coaching and a failure in player execution.
The game and the series was there for the taking.
So what did we get?
The worst quarter in 4 years.
How on earth is that even possible?
The entire point of this roster is that it is constructed to avoid these lulls.
It’s why Brad made the trades he did.
So for it to still happen and now cost you another playoff game, that’s infuriating.
11 POINTS??!?!?!
The Celts had Paolo in a trap, the Magic were scrambling.
Who knows what could happen in that spot.
Maybe they turn it over, maybe they take an earlier shot that has a cleaner rebound etc.
That shot resulted in the long rebound, which led to the 0.3 vs 0.7 fuck up.
Essentially, the refs mistake directly impacted how the game unfolded.
Not only was he poor offensively, he was also a disaster defensively, especially down the stretch.
For the series, it’s been a complete disaster.
He’s been pretty shitty in about 4 of them.
Switching physical defenses is why Brad traded for him.
That was the solve.
Getting KP a switch and him abusing it is how this all works, especially during the offensive lulls.
That dominance was nowhere to be found.
He can’t make a FTA to save his life.
KP is too important to be a no-show like this, especially when the Jays are banged up.
This is what his role requires, and he has not come close to living up to it.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals made him a legend forever, but it’s 2025.
He owned it afterwards which is fine, but I care about what happens on the floor.
This is not a random game you threw away in mid-January.
This is the playoffs.
Even a below-average KP game is enough to win.
A couple of TOs?
Just a disaster in every sense in a game that could have buried the opponent.
So now we enter Game 4.
The Celts made their bed, and now they have to deal with it.
